Valve



March 18, 1941. v D Ls 2,235,608

I VALVE Original Filed Oct. 1 2, 1933 Patented Mar. 18, 1941 VALVE LeeG. Daniels, Rockford; 111.

Original application October 12, 1933, Serial No. 693,330, now PatentNo. 2,093,692, dated Sep-v tember 21, 1937.

Divided and this application August 23, 1937, Serial No. 160,381

7 Claims.

adapted for a variety of other purposes'wherever a valve having thecharacteristics mentioned would be suitable.

In the parent application I disclosed a liftturn, rotary plate typevalve having separate small gaskets on theplate for engagement with seatrings on the body and having means for raising, turning, and seating theplate under spring pressure. It is the principal object of my presentinvention to provide a valve of that type with a different means forraising, turning, and seating the plate, eliminating spring action, sothat the plate is seated positively and cannot, therefore, be raised offits seat by sudden surges in water pressure in the line although it iseasier to open because there is no resisting spring means.

A further object is to provide a valve of thekind mentioned embodyingthreaded means for raising and lowering the plate whereby not only toobtain easier operation and the ability to seat the plate more firmlywith very little effort, but obtain gradual opening and closing andthereby eliminate objectionable water hammer action and also a tendencyfor the plate to chatter relative to the seat rings.

A still further object is to provide a valve of more compact design andone which requires less free space above and around it in its operationand which is moreover handier to operate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which-Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a valve. made inaccordance with my invention taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2- -2 of Fig. 1.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in theseviews.

The valve of my invention, as stated above, has been especially designedfor use interchangeably on water softeners and filters. However, it isadapted for a variety of purposes and any reference hereinafter to watersoftening or filtering should not be regarded in any sense as imposing alimitation on the'applicatlon of this invention. The valve is suitablefor industrial purposes and wherever it is desiredto control the flow ofanyfluid in a similar manner.

The numeral l0 designates the cast body of the valve in which aplurality of ports and passages are provided for cooperation with portsand passages in a rotary stem plate ll whereby to control a system ofcommunication between pipes connected with the body and communicatingwith the passages thereof. The body ill, in other words, constitutes thestator and the stem plate II the rotor. The plate II is enclosed by acover I 2 fastened suitably by bolts l3 onto the body Ill, with a gasketl4 compressed between the parts to prevent leakage. A valve stem l5projects from the center of the plate ll through a suitable stufilng boxl6 provided in the cover, whereby to permit turning the plate by meansof a hand-lever I! fixed to and extending radially from the upper endof. the stem l5. An arm l8 also extends radially from the stem 15 justabove the cover l2 and has a tooth IS on the outer end thereof adaptedto be received in any one of a plurality of. notches. 20 formed in anannular flange 2| projecting from the cover, whereby to indicate theposition of the plate and lock the plate in a selected position againstturning before unseating. The cover is preferably provided with numberedtabs 20 in radial alignment with the notches 20 so that the operator canreadily tell in what position the valve is set. Valves of this generaltype, known as rotary plate type valves, have usually been constructedwith the plate held down in direct metal-to-metal contact with the flatseat on the body,.with the result that when the plate wasturned the partbecame scored and leakage resulted. It was then only a question of timewhen the leakage'would become excessive and repair or replacement wouldbe necessary, which meant not only considerable expense but theannoyance of interrupted service. By having the plate arranged to beunseated before it is turned, as herein disclosed, the objection as toscoring is avoided. Furthermore, I am thereby enabled to. utilizegaskets 22 of soft rubber or other resilient material on the rotaryplate around the ports thereof for engagement with metallic seat rings23 suitably mounted in the ports in the body Hi. In that way, I secure agood leakproof fit for the plate on the body without necessitating heavypressure on the plate as was heretofore the case where a metal-tometalcontact was relied upon. The gaskets 22 are suitably held in place byrings 24 fastened by screws to the plate II. Bushings 25 inserted in theports in the plate project from the plate at comparatively low cost andare threaded or otherwise held in place for easy removal and replacementshould that ever become necessary. The central port 8 is usuallyconnected to the source of water or other fluid supply under pressure,and the fluid is distributed from inside the cover I: through the portsin the plate II to pipes connected to the body Ill. The fluid is shutoil by the valve 8 whenever the plate ii is unseated.

A yoke 26 is mounted on top of the cover l2 and has a center bearing 21'in which a nut 28 threaded on the threaded upper end 29 oi'the stem I isswiveled. The nut 23 is mounted on or forms an integral part of thecenter hub 30 of a hand Wheel 3| adapted to be turned in one directionto unseat the plate ii and in the opposite direction for seating thesame. The small nut 32 retains the hand wheel and its nut 28 againstupward displacement when the nut 28 is tightened in the seating of theplate. The lever ll previously mentioned is used merely to turn theplate by means of its stem I! when unseated.

In operation it should be clear that when the hand wheel 3i has beenturned to disengage the tooth 19 from one of the notches 20 the plate Hcan be turned by means of the lever I! in either direction to bring thetooth l8 into alignment with oneoi the other notches for a differentposition of the valve, whereupon ii the hand wheel 3i is then turned inthe opposed direction the plate H will be lowered and seated with itsgaskets 22 firmly engaging the seat rings 23. The tooth is prior toengagement of the gaskets with the seat rings enters the selected notch20 and thereby locks the plate it against turning. The numbered tabs 20'appearing in Fig. 2, facilitate operation of the valve where there is apredetermined sequence of valve positions as, for example, in theregeneration of a water softener. Thus, the number i position is'forback-washing, the number 2 position ior salting and rinsing, and thenumber 3 position for normal softening operation. There is no need for adetailed description in this application of the different circuitsestablished through the valve in the different positions of the plate H,inasmuch as that is fully described in the parent application. Itis moreimportant here to point out that the threaded means 28-49 for seatingand unseating the plate ii oflers numerous advantages:

(l) It makes it easier to open and close the valve because of themechanical advantage derived by the threads and the fact that there isno counter-acting spring closing means to resist the opening of thevalve.

7 (2). -It provides for gradual opening and closing of the valve so thatthere is no likelihood of water hammer action such as occurs when avalve is abruptly opened and closed.

i 3). The operation is positive in both directions in. contrast to theimpositive operation obtained with spring means and this oilers theadvantage of freedom from chattering of the plate relative to the seatrings in the opening and closing of aasaeoa the; valve, as well asavoiding the objection of the plate being apt to lift oi! its seatagainst themressure' of its spring closing means when there is a suddensurge in water pressure in the line, caused.. for example, by closingsome other yalve in .the line too fast.

(4) It permits the operator to increase pressure on the plate in seatingincase there is tendency or likelihood of leakage with old gaskets. I

,(5) The elimination of springs makes for greater dependability, springsbeing objectionable because of the likelihood of breakage.

(6) The rotary hand wheel II and rotary lever l'l take up less room andare handler to operate, besides being operable in more confined spacethan other types of operatingmeans.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understandingoi-all or the objects and advantages of my invention. The followingclaims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimatemodifications and adaptations.

I claim: 7

1. In a lift-turn valve a ported stator. member and a ported rotormember disposed in superimposed relation arranged to be seated on thebody member in any oi a plurality of positions of rotation about itscenter as an axis, a resilient gasket oi soft rubber interposedtherebetween to cushion and seal the engagement of the rotor member. inseating on the stator member,

threaded means for raising and lowering the rotor member, whereby saidgasket may be sub,- jected positively to distorting seating compressionafter the rotor member is seated by continued actuation of said threadedmeans, means for turning the rotor member when unseated, and means onthe rotor and stator members slidably engaged in the seating andunseating movements to prevent sliding movement between the meetingfaces of the stator member, rotor member, and'gasket when in surfacecontact and to lock the rotor member in predetermined positions ofrotary adjustment prior to the seating thereof.

2. In a lift-turn valve, a ported body member, a ported stem platemember arranged to be seated on the body member in any one of aplurality 01. positions of rotation about itsstem as an axis, seat ringsin the ports in the body member projecting from said body member towardthe stem plate member and individual resilient gaskets on the stem platemember for engagement with said rings, a cover on the body memberenclosing the stem plate, the stem of the stem plate projecting throughthe cover and being slidable endwise and rotatable relative thereto topermit lifting, turning and reseating the stem plate member, a lockingring rigid with the cover and having a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced recesses provided therein, a cooperating locking member to engagedetachably in said recesses rotatable with the stem, threaded meansacting between the stem and the cover to lift and reseat-thestem plate,the resilient gaskets being compressible after engagement with the seatrings when the threaded means is tightened, the stem plate beingrotatable When the locking member is disengaged from the locking ring.

3. In a lift-turn valve, a ported stator member, a ported rotor memberliftable from engagement with the stator member and rotatable to anotherposition and reseatable on the stator member, an

rotor member, threaded means cooperating with the stem and arranged whenturned in one direction to raise the rotor member and when turned in theother direction to reseat the same, a looking ring stationary with thestator member and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced lockingrecesses provided therein, means for turning the stem to rotate therotor member from one position to another and also rotating a lockingmember relative to the locking ring for engagement in the recessesthereof to hold the stem releasably against turning from adjustedposition, and resilient gasket means compressible between the statormember and rotor member to cushion and seal the engagement of the rotormember with the stator member, said gasket means being compressible tovarying degrees according to the degree of tightening of the aforesaidthreaded means. I

4. In a lift-turn valve, a ported stator member, a ported rotor memberliftable from engagement with the stator member and rotatable to anotherlever for turning the stem to rotate the rotor member from one positionto another and also rotating .a locking member relative to the lockingring for engagement in the recesses thereof to hold the stem releasablyagainst turning from adjusted position, projecting seats on one of thestator and rotor members, and compressible gasket material on theabutting face of the other of said members compressible upon engagementwith said projecting seats.

5. In a lift-turn valve, a ported stator member, a ported rotor memberliftable from engagement with the stator member and rotatable to anotherposition and reseatable on the stator member, an operating stemprojecting from the center of the rotor member, threaded meanscooperating with the stem and arranged when turned in one direction toraise the rotor member and when turned in the other direction to reseatthe same, a locking ring stationary with the stator member and having aplurality of circumferentially spaced locking recesses provided therein,a hand lever for turning the stem to rotate the rotor member 'from oneposition to another and also rotating a locking member relative to thelocking ring for engagement in the recesses thereof to hold the stemreleasably against turning from adjusted position, seat rings insertedin the ports in the stator member andprojecting from the face of saidmember toward the rotor member, and individual rubber gaskets on thecooperating face of the rotor member for compression by engagement withsaid rings.

6. In a plate type valve comprising a ported body member and a portedplate member, separate and independent tubular bushings secured in andprojecting from the ports of one of said members, separate andindependent compressible resilient rubber seats around each of saidtubular bushings for engagement with and compression against seatingsurfaces provided on the other member to space said members relative toone another and establish sealed communication with the cooperatingports of the other member in different positions of the plate member tothe body member, said bushings acting to support the inner walls of theseats, and means for relieving seating pressure of the plate member onsaid seats and turning the plate member.

7. In a plate type lift-turn valve comprising a ported body member, anda ported plate member, separate and independent tubular bushings securedin and projecting from the ports of one of said members, separate andindependent compressible resilient ring seats around each of saidtubular bushings for engagement with and compression against seatingsurfaces 'on the other member to establish sealed communication with theports of the other member in difierent seated positions of the platemember in relation to the body member, and means for unseating, turning,

' and reseating the plate member.

LEE G. DANIELS.

